Hal Lawrence (1920–1994)

Lawrence rose through he ranks of the WW II Canadian Navy to finish as a first officer. He served in tugs and picket boats but most of his time was spent in Corvettes and a destroyer shepherding convoys from the Caribbean to New York or the UK, on the treacherous Murmansk run and across the North Atlantic. Once he and another seaman attempted to capture a surfaced German submarine but its sinking prevented their action. They did capture most of the crew after killing a few to get the point across.

This an amazingly honest and forthright description of life in a small ship constantly under threat of attack. Fellow seamen and officers are named even if the stories are not necessarily complimentary. His ship was at D-Day and his description of the actions he participated in present a different view of that battle then the ones one usually reads.

First rate narrative of the Canadian Navy's contribution to the war effort.… (mer)